Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri this evening submitted his nomination to contest the next MEP elections after a change of heart.

This was just three days after he said on Xejk TV he would not be seeking re-election because the PL had already decided who it wanted to see elected and he had been put among the losers.

Contacted by timesofmalta.com this evening, he said that the party came first but preferred not to say what had changed. He also said he had an 'open channel' of communication with Joseph Muscat. 

He insisted he could not say more but said a press release would be issued later today or tomorrow.

He denied that he had been asked not to comment by the Labour Party.

Mr Cuschieri had said on Xejk that every candidate should be treated in the same way and no one should enjoy an advantage or disadvantage.

He said that the past seven elections he had contested had been fair, with no interference or anybody making abusive use of the party machinery.

However he felt that this time, the situation was not the same.

“Unfortunately, this time the situation is not the same, I never participated in elections which had already been decided, but elections where the candidates were on equal footing.” Because of this reason he would not contest the EP elections, he said.